Chapter 1
When I, Amy Reed, had a chance to change my miserable life, Andrew Shepherd's student, Susan Miller, deliberately locked me inside an MRI machine again.
I didn't cry or make a scene. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.
In my previous life, being trapped in that MRI for six hours made me so angry that I went to the hospital and filed a complaint against Susan.
After Susan lost her right to practice medicine, Andrew came to hate me with a passion.
He took revenge on me as coldly as if I were an enemy.
He forced me out of the marriage with nothing. After I was diagnosed with brain cancer and needed his help as the country's leading expert, he showed no mercy. He warned every student he had ever taught not to treat me.
In the end, penniless and driven to despair by the cancer, I crashed my car into the entrance of the home we once shared.
So, this time, spending six hours asleep inside an MRI machine was nothing. As long as I could get Andrew to treat me and stay alive, it would all be worth it.
*****
When I opened my eyes again, it was Andrew who woke me up.
He looked at me, panic written all over his face. "Amy, how... how did you get stuck in the MRI machine?"
In my previous life, Andrew had come into the exam room at this exact moment. But back then, he was drawn in by my yelling and sobbing.
So, in my previous life, the moment Andrew came in and released me, I lost control. The moment my feet hit the ground, I lunged at Andrew's assistant, Susan, and slapped her hard across the face.
Susan's mouth bled from the slap. But she didn't try to defend herself at all. She kept crying and apologizing.
Back then, there was no way I was going to listen to her.
After all, when Susan locked me in the MRI machine, she had taunted me, "Mrs. Shepherd, you're such a pain, always getting in the way when Mr. Shepherd tries to teach me how to write my thesis."
"Why don't you stay in the MRI and reflect on your behavior?" With that, she walked out of the exam room.
No matter how much I screamed, how hysterically I struggled and cried, Susan never came back into the exam room.
So, there was no way I was ever going to listen to her apologies.
After slapping her, I yelled at her, "Sorry? Have you got the nerve to say sorry? You locked me in the MRI machine on purpose for six whole hours.
"Do you really think crying and saying sorry a couple of times is going to make up for what you did?
"Susan, you don't deserve to be a doctor. I'm going to report you to the hospital. I'll make sure you never set foot in a hospital again."
After screaming at her, I rushed out of the exam room.
Andrew chased after me, pleading with me to stop, threatening divorce if I went through with the complaint.
I ignored him completely and, fueled by anger, kicked open the door to their complaint office.
Even when their director of administration tried to talk me out of it, smoothing things over, I threatened them that if they didn't fire Susan, I'd go public and call the media.
In the end, I got what I wanted. Susan was fired from the hospital. But what did it really change...
A bittersweet numbness washed over my chest. While I was lost in the past, Andrew had already undone the restraints holding me down.
This time, I didn't lose my control as I did in my previous life.
As I stepped out of the MRI machine, Andrew, as he did in my previous life, nervously tried to explain, "Amy, let me explain. Susan's not very experienced yet.
"I needed her for something, and she forgot you were in there. She really didn't mean to do it. She's young. Cut her some slack."
I gave Susan, who'd been crying ever since the whole mess started, a calm look.
Then I grabbed my coat, slipped it on, and smiled warmly at Andrew. "It's okay, really. I get it. Interns mess up sometimes. No big deal.
"Honestly, I was stuck in the MRI for six hours. It wasn't a big deal. I was pretty tired anyway, so I caught up on some sleep.
"Oh, right, I've got something to do, so I'm heading home."
After saying that, I didn't look at Andrew. I turned around and walked out of the exam room.